The Tigers sent seven players to the Arizona Fall League this season, but the two creating the most buzz were pitchers. Righthanders Jordan Tata and Virgil Vasquez performed well in the AFL, both keeping their ERAs below 4.00 in the hitter-friendly league. Tata, a 2003 16th-round pick out of Sam Houston State, was the most impressive, flashing three quality pitches led by his 90-93 mph sinker and his cut fastball, which topped out at 94.

Yadier Molina kept the Mets out of the World Series. He also kept Andrew Miller out of the World Series. Because he is a lefthander, Miller, the club's first-round pick in June out of North Carolina and the sixth player taken overall, would have been added to the Tigers' World Series roster had the Mets won the pennant. The Mets featured a heavily lefthanded lineup, while the Cardinals, in contrast, had many more righthanded batters.

Five days before the season ended, manager Jim Leyland told outfielder Brent Clevlen the organization still wanted him to go to the Arizona Fall League — and not the ALCS roster — as originally planned.